After hours freezing in the Lukla airport we got a plane… A,D. Sherpa magic! The take off was a bit tense… A guy in the coffee shop had said “IF you survive it… You will think about it for the rest of your life.”
Back in Kathmandu we had a few hours to pack and shop before our last team meal. I have never appreciated a hot shower more!
Dinner was on the grounds of the Shangrila with music. Lots of laughter, sharing moments, and hugs. I even had a chance to dance under the stars with Mike… Perfect ending! I am so very thankful for this adventure with my family..,,, we will never be the same….,

Planes could not get in to get us this morning… Or afternoon. So we had a day to be lazy… Hang in the coffee shop, let our bodies recover a bit! No worries….
If plane doesn’t come tomorrow we helicopter out!

Last night the dinner was amazing! Nema came down to join us and I actually got to join the kitchen staff for a few moments to roast the two pounds of pecans I have been dragging around in yak butter and salt… Yummy appetizer ! A great evening together with the team. We are starting to wind down as we head out of the Everest region. Such mixed emotions. Today we started out with a stop at Pasangs parents home for tea- Trekked about 3 hours backtracking our way to Lukla and loved visiting with our girls along the way! Dawa and Calden invited us to their home for lunch— Sherpa stew! We got settled back into the tea house and I went with Angdawa to meet his beautiful family. We will have dinner and a ceremony with the Sherpas tonight since many will not return to kathmandu for the last few days …, I don’t see this as an ending, but a beautiful beginning on a new and amazing journey with the children of Nepal. They have captured our hearts.,,

We all were excited as we headed out this morning because we will see some of the girls again as we travel through the villages. We had a bit of trouble with our Sherpa today but all was good and we had a beautiful trek through the mountains with aqua glacier rivers running along beside us. Through the woods , across swinging bridges, skipping rocks over icy creeks , icy waterfalls, and our last sighting of Everest! ; (
Beautiful little faces greeted us with smiles , high fives, and namaste greetings ! We saw three of our scholarship girls and families. Each time we say goodbye and give hugs I say a little prayer for their safety… Life is so hard here.
We made it to the yeti lodge for tonight and I am freezing, under a down comforter, wishing for Marsala tea, and snacking on a bar of chocolate with mike and Bryce. What a day…. Doesn’t get any better … Except maybe with a little heat! Dinner will be soon …. So…. Later !

Sari & Emily; Jeffrey & Ellen; Peter; Sameer, Laurie. & Jeremy; Ro; Margaret; Nancy ; Jen; Ella ; Trissey; Greg; Tammy; Kristen; Mike; Bryce; Patrice;

Woke up to colder weather and a long hike back up to Nemche. The distance seemed much further due to exhaustion from climbing yesterday. My knees are a mess but I would do it again in a heartbeat! Mike and Bryce are doing Great. We traveled well and arrived in Nemche by 11:00 a.m. Hot showers were at a premium and electric blankets on our beds were just amazing since the room was so cold I couldn’t feel my hands or feet.
After getting cleaned up, we walked down to town to the bakery for coffee and apple strudel and to buy some clean clothes ( to cold to wash or dry before we leave). Our dinner was a traditional celebration dinner and a wonderful experience. We had momo’s , soup in beautiful terrains, rice, and vegetables, hot tea and chocolate pudding… Yum! After dinner the team discussed improvements for future ENG trips and processed together a bit. Mike and I have spent numerous hours talking about how we can be more active in this organization. We want to make more happen for these girls because they deserve it!

The day started early and we woke up in the tea house with ice on the windows (inside) frozen water bottles, toothpaste, and eyedrops, even the water bottles filled with boiling water and placed at the foot of our sleeping bags were cold! Needless to say we were up and dressed quickly because we were freezing. This was the day for the big climb. Those that wanted to try to climb higher altitudes prepared for a hard adventurous day… Of course the Moulton crew was game! After much conversation Mike and I decided to give permission for Bryce to climb with the most experienced climbers of our team. They had been trekking with him for days now and assured us he was strong and ready… We just weren’t certain we were. This was very scary since we were all reminded of symptoms of altitude sickness which can be lethal and the dangers of climbing at this level. So off we went. My anxiety was high as we started wondering once again what on earth we were thinking when we agreed to this adventure ( there seems to be a theme here for me). We quickly fell out into natural pacing groups as we began to climb. We ascended higher than the highest point, Mt. Whitney, in the continental U. S. and to the elevation of Everest base camp! Bryce ascended the furtherest with the help of the A Team.., thank you Pasang and Sameer! Thank you Angdawa, Dawa, and DZ- for a truly once in a lifetime experience and for keeping us safe. Margaret, Greg, Ro, & Jen you will always hold a special place in our hearts. I could see Bryce climbing above me on the peaks and at one point could only make him out by his dance of celebration as I tried to pick him out of the silhouettes. It is impossible to describe this feeling. It was beyond difficult, very emotional, and a day I will never, ever forget. There were panoramic views of the mountains, prayer flags left by those before us, memorials to Sherpas that died on the mountain, compassion, laughter, camaraderie, tears, and an immense amount of thankfulness and joy! I feel more blessed than I can explain…
We were dragging back to the tea house after our climb completely spent and happy. Marsala tea, Dahl baht and a very supportive ENG team awaited us. The celebration included cards (sometimes mistakes happen) determining who would wear the rag of shame, and chocolate squares with Pringles. Notice I did not say showers… : ) life is so so GOOD!

Very long hike today – we climbed 11,400 feet. The views were absolutely amazing along the way. We saw Everest and the “mother God” mountain all along the route. We stopped along the trail for lunch and a little trail side shopping! The trail after lunch was all uphill, quite dusty , with yak and horses traveling along with porters and others heading for small villages along the way and base camp. We arrived at the tea house around 2:00 p.m. Lots of Masala tea for weary travelers and an adorable 12 year-old boy named Bakti that was the hardest working little man with a smile a mile wide! We went for a while to the buddist monetary and we were given permission to take a photo of Bryce- special moments.The evening was spent in jovial play and conversation in the dining room- around the wood stoves,

Today we walked to Namche…. Hard climb. We are at 3,440 meters altitude now. The air is very thin. We had one home visit along the way with Pemba., the young girl that walked 4 miles to get her scholarship and dance for us. Her mother was so proud! She had safely placed the Polaroid of Pemba in her sachet with love. I am constantly amazed that these homes are often one maybe 2 rooms, dirt floors… Sitting/ sleeping benches, with a small fire for heat and cooking and immaculate! Such pride and care and organization.
The scenery was amazing. We have learned that Sherpas have a vocabulary for trekking that has a totally different meaning than ours… Words like 10 minutes, soon, all downhill, near, easy, slowly slowly, whenever you are ready, not very cold. These translate to freezing, hours, uphill, climbing, and now! 🙂
We actually crossed the highest suspension bridge in the Everest region today with yaks barreling toward us as we neared the end… Yikes! First siting Everest !!!!

This day was spent in Nemche to rest and prepare for our trek. We started with A late wake up call and “bed tea”… A beautiful tradition! Some of us went for a morning hike to the monastery, to the Buddist prayer paintings, and up around the perimeter overlooking Nemche. Dawa, one of our Sherpa,s was wonderful at teaching us about the Buddist beliefs and traditions. Angdawa, as always was at my side during the hike. He has been assigned to see to my safety for the climbing and he has done an excellent job. I feel honored to get to know these Sherpas and share this time together learning from them .
The afternoon was spent going into the Nemche Bazaar and looking at local goods. This is the Sherpa Capitol and the gateway to the “Everest Highway” . It is the last city of commerce to the shopping was fantastic . I picked up a few Sherpa hats, a pair of fleece lined pants for the climb, some yak wool, and chocolate to share on the climb. We spent time today catching up on posting and letting those at home know we are safe . The Moulton crew has been extremely lucky… All but 4 of our group have ranged from fairly ill to bedridden at times with altitude and bacterial issues. Knock on wood… So far we are standing strong! It may be all the masala tea we are drinking! A new love of mine…